Former Duke University football player Brandon Braxton confessed to stabbing his high school friend to death outside her North Carolina home last summer.
Braxton, 33, who played wide receiver and safety at Duke from 2010 to 2013, was charged with first-degree felony murder and felony robbery with a dangerous weapon in relation to the death of Whitney Hurd on March 20, months after being questioned in relation to the July 2024 incident while being held by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office for an unrelated crime.
“I killed Whitney Hurd,” Braxton allegedly wrote in a message to the Mecklenburg Sheriff’s Office on March 3, which was included in an arrest affidavit signed March 20 and obtained by the New York Post.
Braxton was initially viewed as a person of interest in Hurd's murder after his fingerprints were found at the scene, as well as in Hurd's stolen car, however he wasn't arrested in relation to the incident until March 20. Hurd, 32, was reported missing by her family on July 11 and her body was discovered wrapped in bedding inside her SouthPark townhome three days later by a private investigator. Queen City News reported.
Hurd reportedly suffered multiple stab wounds and police ruled her death was ruled as a homicide, the affidavit states. Braxton and Hurd attended Providence High School in Charlotte together and were reported to have lost touch for several years since.
Braxton reportedly began appearing outside Hurd's home beginning at an undetermined time, which included allegedly falling asleep on her driveway after she wouldn't let him into her home. Hurd also reportedly called the police after Braxton allegedly broke into her home.
Hurd's phone and white BMW X3 were both missing from her home when her body was discovered. Neighbors told police that they saw an unidentified male driving away from the home on July 4.
Braxton was reportedly tracked by police to have been "frequent" in the area of Hurd's home. The former football player was arrested for an unrelated larceny of a motor vehicle on July 24 and ultimately released on August 14, 2024, before being arrested again for trespassing on January 23 and remained jailed until March 18, making his confession on March 3.
Braxton appeared in 42 regular season games and recorded 93 receptions for 893 yards and three touchdowns, as well as 54 tackles and two tackles for loss as a safety.